Beckie,As I said to Ramblingwoods, hope int he unknown is very personal and specific to me but I think it's felt throughout the nation.

Esther,We watched it online, projected onto a screen, at work, ironically through BBC America as the streaming dfelay was worse on US sites (partially because our laptop is older and partially because more people were overloading US servers).

I didn't catch "tanks into plowshares" but Obama did mention several green initiatives and I thought i heard something about farming.

Also, I was happy he acknowledged nonbelievers when naming different religions/beliefs that make up our country. I don't think any president has ever acknowledged that.

Monica it was a wonderful day. I heard someone say that when they were standing among the crowds the day felt warm and only when they headed back to their cars, buses and trains did they remember how cold it was. gail

I was happy as an atheist to be acknowledged as well, Monica. I thought it was a beautiful speech and much as I lean towards libertarianism and so sometimes disagree with his viewpoints, there is clearly something great about this man. He's inspirational and sharp as a tack. It will be a pleasure to feel welcomed into the country's discourse again.

Hi Monica, thank you for your musings! Even though we're English, last-born and I sat and watched the ceremony together with lumps in our throats and tears in our eyes.The feeling of hope was tangible and the poem really moved me. I just hope he can live up to the world's expectations of him.